Allergy Treatment

Allergy testing is used to help determine the cause for allergic reactions.

Who should be tested for allergies?

Adults and children of any age who have symptoms that suggest they have an allergic disease. Allergy symptoms can include:

Respiratory symptoms: Itchy eyes, nose, throat; nasal congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, chest congestion, and/or wheezing

Skin symptoms: Hives or generalized itchiness

Other symptoms: Anaphylaxis (severe life-threatening allergic reactions), or abdominal symptoms (cramping, diarrhea)

What types of tests does TotalCare perform?

Allergy testing involves having a skin or blood test to find out what substance or allergen, may trigger an allergic response in a person.

Skin test: This test is done by placing small amounts of different allergens on the patient's skin with a sterile applicator. If the skin develops a red, raised itchy area (called a wheal), it usually means that the person is allergic to that allergen.

Blood test: Allergy blood tests detects substances in the blood called antibodies. RASP(Radio allergo sorbent procedure), looks for the presence of allergy-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the bloodstream. The level of IgE correlates to the sensitivity a patient has to the allergen.